


Letter to the Refuge

by justcallmeradio



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst, Jack Needs a Hug, Sad Jack Kelly, What Have I Done, crutchie need a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:02:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23999434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justcallmeradio/pseuds/justcallmeradio
Summary: AU in which Jack writes a letter in response to the letter from the refuge.
Relationships: Crutchie & Jack Kelly
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	Letter to the Refuge

Jack panted as he pulled himself up the last rung of the ladder on the fire escape. It rattled as he threw himself onto the metal floor, and he cringed, praying it went unheard. Jack pressed himself against the damp brick wall of the Refuge, listening for the sounds of guards.

In the silence of the night, Jack tried not to let the memories flood back in: the days of starvation, the sleepless nights, the screams that echoed through the lifeless building. He pulled an envelope out of his pocket, trying to remind himself why he was there, back at the prison that had stolen so many years of his life. 

“Get it together, Kelly,” he whispered to himself, and began to creep towards the window. Jack peaked around the windowsill, his face illuminated by the faint lights inside, and scanned the faces on the over crowded bunk beds. His breath hitched when he saw him.

Crutchie lay on the top bunk in the corner of the dirty room, how he got up there, Jack didn’t know. He was curled up in the corner of the bed, a thin blanket covering up his mangled leg, which stuck out at an odd angle. Under the large tears in Crutchie’s shirt, Jack could see dark bruises littering his body. Even in his sleep, Crutchie’s face was contorted in pain.

Tears started to well in Jack’s eyes, but the didn’t fall. He was frozen in sight of his brother suffering, all because of him. “This should be you,” thought Jack. He gripped the letter in his hand tighter and rapped on the window. 

Is knock startled a lanky blond boy, who was laying closest to the window. As he began to shimmy open the window, Jack was surprised to recognize the boy from his last visit to the Refuge.

“You know you, Jack,” the boy said as he forced the last inch of the window open, “Usually when you escape prison it isn’t so you can come back and visit, although I know you can’t I get enough of me.”

Jack chuckled in spite of himself. “I can see your ego hasn’t gotten any smaller since I left, huh Pipsqueak?”

The boy grinned. “Well if it ain’t to see me, what brought you back to paradise?”

“My friend was locked up yesterday. Newsies, real messed up leg, right back there in the corner.” Jack pointed towards Crutchie. “You think you can bring him over here?”

Pipsqueaks smile fell. He took a long look at Crutchie, still sleeping in the corner, before turning back towards Jack.

“He hasn’t been doing too hot Jack. He could barely make it to the top bunk, but it was the only one left. The kid has barely moved since. Must have been soaked real bad.”

Jack put his head down, not wanting Pipsqueak to see the tears that were starting to leak out of his eyes. Crutchie’s desperate cries for help as he was dragged away rang in Jack’s ears.

“Jack, I can try to get him over here if you want, but it might just cause him more pain.”

Jack impatiently wiped away his tears and looked up to meet Pipsqueaks sympathetic gaze.

“I’ve caused him enough pain already,” Jack sighed. “Just... give him this,” he slipped the envelope through the bars of the window, “and tell him I say goodbye, alright?”

Pipsqueak nodded solemnly and made to close the bars of the window, but Jack grabbed it before he could finish. 

“Look our for the kid, okay? God knows I couldn’t, but he deserves someone. He was the best of us, you know?”

Pipsqueak smiled dejectedly, but they both knew their was no real protection from the horrors of the refuge.

“I’ll try, now get out before the Spider forces you to stay.”

The window closed, and Jack cast one last look at Crutchie before he receded into the night.

~~~~~~~~

Crutchie was woken by a light tug on his shirt. He groaned, trying to sit up, but his arms betrayed him and collapsed underneath him.

“Hey hey hey, don’t strain yourself.”

Crutchie didn’t listen. He was able to push himself up into a sitting position this time. His leg twisted, and he was forced to bite his lip to avoid crying out. Crutchie leaned down over the edge of the bed towards the source of the voice. He felt his ribs shift, and stars danced in his eyes, but when they cleared he saw a tall blond boy stood next to his bunk, worry deeply etched in his face.

“Of course Kelly is friends with this kid,” he mumbled. “Clearly no self preservation”

“You know Jack?” Crutchie asked, ignoring his comment.

“Sure I do, he’s famous around here. Just stopped by, left a letter for you.”

Crutchie thought back to the letter Specs had delivered to Jack yesterday, not thinking he would be able to send a response. 

The boy tossed an envelope, addresses to him in Jack’s small, loopy handwriting. Crutchie smiled, despite the pain he was in, at the sign of his friend. 

“He wanted to say goodbye.”

Crutchie’s grin faded.

“Goodbye?” Crutchie’s voice shook.

The boy sighed. “Sounded like he was taking off, but who knows. Try to get some sleep, alright you look like hell.”

He turned back towards his bunk, and Crutchie carefully opened the envelope. He unfolded the tear stained paper inside, and began to read:

Crutchie,  
You finally did it kid, first time in the refuge. I should have protected you yesterday. It’s my fault you are locked up with the Spider in this hell hole. This whole mess is my fault. Some leader, huh? Look at us, we were pounded into the ground. It’s me who should be looked up in the refuge not you.  
Don’t try to pull a grand escape, alright? I know I did, but it came with a price. I don’t want you to be running away your whole life. You deserve better than that... better than all of this. Keep your head down, for me, okay? Everyone loves you, they won’t give you a hard time like they did me. You’ll be back on the streets with the other newsies in no time.  
Speaking of which, when you get out, I’ll be gone, hopefully out in Santa Fe. I just can’t take it anymore, Crutchie, not without you here. I need out. There’s no winning again Pulitzer, and Snider, and I’m done playing their game. No point pretending that things can get better here, they showed us we don’t have a chance.  
I failed you Crutchie, you and all of the boys. Whatever family we made, I broke it. I didn’t look out for you, and I don’t deserve to be part of it. 

I’m sorry,  
Jack Kelly

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!!! Please leave a comment or say hi or something. If you see any thing wrong or have a suggestion/request let me know because I don’t know what I’m doing. <3


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